Thank you for this recap! I wish I could have been there. I had to laugh at the advice to write badly. It works so well! Like Rob I had the opportunity to work with A. M. Jenkins and they were awesome. After getting totally stuck on my primary project, A. M. also suggested writing as badly as I could. I ended up with a series of mini-stories starring Joe and Joely. They had a terrible marriage. Joe was a workaholic, only taking breaks to have power lunches to network. He spent his weekends on the golf course. Joely had a corporate job but despite her MBA was hitting the glass ceiling, that her husband was actively contributing to, and so on. They went on awkward vacations, Joely had an unfulfilling affair, etc etc. It helped tremendously to take a break from hard-core creative mode to mindless clichés. And at the end of our time together, A. M. said "I have to admit, I'm kind of going to miss Joe and Joely." Mission accomplished!
Thanks for letting us know about your success with this technique. I'm with Rob! I want to read about those awkward vacations . . . and that unfulfilling affair!
So much to dig into here!! Thanks, Jennifer.
Thank you for this recap! I wish I could have been there. I had to laugh at the advice to write badly. It works so well! Like Rob I had the opportunity to work with A. M. Jenkins and they were awesome. After getting totally stuck on my primary project, A. M. also suggested writing as badly as I could. I ended up with a series of mini-stories starring Joe and Joely. They had a terrible marriage. Joe was a workaholic, only taking breaks to have power lunches to network. He spent his weekends on the golf course. Joely had a corporate job but despite her MBA was hitting the glass ceiling, that her husband was actively contributing to, and so on. They went on awkward vacations, Joely had an unfulfilling affair, etc etc. It helped tremendously to take a break from hard-core creative mode to mindless clichés. And at the end of our time together, A. M. said "I have to admit, I'm kind of going to miss Joe and Joely." Mission accomplished!
Ha! I love this anecdote. Whatever happened to Joe and Joely???? I'm kind of invested already ;-)
I'd have to dig it was out, but I suspect Joely is drinking cheap chardonnay with an ice cube binge watching Netflix.
Sounds like a life plan I could get into ;-)
Thanks for letting us know about your success with this technique. I'm with Rob! I want to read about those awkward vacations . . . and that unfulfilling affair!